school safety
Allegation that charter school student used racial slur, flashed a gun on FaceTime raises concerns
This story contains racist language that might upset some readers. A white seventh-grade boy who attends Discovery Charter School in Durham allegedly called a Black classmate a “monkey” and another racial slur, and then flashed a rifle to several students during a FaceTime chat, Arssante Malone, the father of the Black student, told NC Newsline. […]
As summer slips away, school safety takes center stage
Bullying. Suicide. Childhood trauma. Substance use. All are issues that educators and parents hope will not define a new school year. The Center for Safer Schools has focused this week on how to ensure school personnel have the skills to address a wide variety of issues that can impact school climate and safety. “Statistically speaking, […]
Public schools banned from sheltering migrants under bill passed by U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday night passed a bill to bar the use of public K-12 school facilities to provide shelter for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. The bill, approved 222-201, is known as the “Schools Not Shelters Act” and is a rebuke of the Biden administration’s immigration policy. If enacted into […]
Weekend reads: Sidestepping scandal, a decade of failure, and increasing cardiac arrest survival
In this issue: 1. ‘Resolved’ but still relevant? Tim Moore appears to sidestep another potential scandal By Joe Killian This week North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) quietly resolved a lawsuit over his relationship with another man’s wife, making it the latest in a long series of personal and political scandals Moore has managed […]
Weekend reads: Rep. Cotham’s big jump, absentee ballot restrictions, and what’s in the House budget
1. Rep. Tricia Cotham’s party switch gives the House GOP a veto-proof majority Rep. Tricia Cotham formally announced she is switching parties to become a Republican, giving the GOP a veto-proof majority in the state House. Cotham bashed Democrats at a news conference Wednesday morning where Republicans welcomed her to the GOP. Cotham said Democrats had […]
State Board of Education member suggests surrounding schools with security fences
The state should build fences around schools to protect students and educators from gun violence, State Board of Education member Amy White said Thursday. White noted during the state board’s monthly meeting that there haven’t been any mass shootings at state prisons because they are heavily protected by fencing. “We should provide that same sense […]
Durham high school students plead with state leaders for action to combat gun violence
“Thoughts and prayers” are no longer enough to protect children from gun violence, says Durham Hillside High School Principal William Logan. Gun violence proliferates, Logan said, because guns are too readily available, and lawmakers are unwilling to pass meaningful gun control laws.
To prevent shootings, teachers need to be armed with information, not guns
Schools do not need more resource officers, armed guards or for that matter armed teachers. Schools need to become adept at gathering information, sharing intelligence and, most importantly, making sense of what they learn. In Uvalde, Texas we’ve learned far too well that good guys—many good guys—with guns can’t always stop a bad guy with a gun. In Florida, Nikolas Cruz is on trial for his life after killing 17 people at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
House Democrats think private schools should play by same rules as public schools if students receive vouchers
If a private school receives state money, is that school obligated to abide by state laws? That’s the question State Rep. Shelly Willingham, (D-Edgecombe) posed Monday during a discussion about a school safety omnibus bill that would, among other things, require public schools to create threat assessment teams. Senate Bill 5 was previously a school […]
Governor’s school safety committee: Trained police, threat assessments, mental health funding needed to combat school shootings
A state committee established after last year’s shooting at a Florida high school says North Carolina should place a trained police officer in every school, conduct more rigorous threat assessments, and expand funding for mental health services. The committee, formed last year in the Governor’s Crime Commission, made their recommendations in a new report for […]
In surprise revision to school safety bill, Senate Republicans seek insurance overhaul that may threaten NC’s Affordable Care Act marketplace
A bipartisan-backed proposal to help North Carolina schools recruit campus psychologists received a major makeover in a Senate committee Thursday that may destabilize the state’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, advocates say. Senate Republicans unveiled the new portions of House Bill 933 at a committee meeting Thursday morning, potentially clearing surprise provisions aimed purportedly at […]
N.C. House approves $23.9 billion budget, despite Democrats’ objections
In the end, after hours of back and forth between miffed Democrats and Republicans, the GOP had the votes to push through their $23.9 billion budget Friday morning. Members of the state House of Representatives gave their final approval of the spending plan Friday, ushering the budget onto Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. The Senate approved […]